


The Fates Have Left Me Breathing

by predilection



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 09:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2104689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/predilection/pseuds/predilection
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Space Rangers get to know Karone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fates Have Left Me Breathing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rosabelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosabelle/gifts).



> Written for rosabelle's prompt: "I just want to see Karone bonding with someone or someones of your choosing. (Andros, the Space team, her own team, Ecliptor, Angel Grove civilian of your choice, whoever). Bonus points if there are hugs." This was a beautiful prompt and I hope I did it justice. 
> 
> This fic is set in some magical time that existed in the middle of episode 29 of Power Rangers in Space ("Dark Specter's Revenge, Part 1") after the rangers decided to make Karone an honorary ranger. Also, this is my first time writing Power Rangers in Space fic, even though Power Rangers in Space is my favourite series. 
> 
> Content warning: There are a few references to the trauma Karone has been through.
> 
> The title comes from "Return (Coming Home)" by The Crüxshadows.

**TJ**

TJ was on cleaning duty this week. Everyone cleared out of the mess hall after dinner, and he stayed behind to tidy up, grabbing their used trays and returning them to the recycler.

He was picking up Carlos' tray when he realized that Karone had stayed behind, and was watching him attentively from where she stood by the lockers, her brows furrowed as if in confusion.

Honestly, he wasn't a hundred percent sure how he felt about her. He didn't doubt that she was Andros' long lost sister, but she had also been their nemesis. Although TJ had said he would be her friend, and promised himself he would do his best to help her adjust to being good, there was a little part of himself that doubted her -- that made him hesitant to trust her fully. It was a tiny part of him, but he was ashamed to admit to himself that it was part of him all the same. He pushed that doubt aside and asked her, "Is something the matter?"

She frowned. "Why are you the only one cleaning?"

Because of his doubts (and not in spite of them), he promised himself he was going to do his best to get to know her better. He walked over to his locker and pulled out a piece of paper from inside it. He handed it to her and she took it from him carefully.

"It's this month's chore schedule," he explained. "We all take turns doing different work on the ship so no one person is stuck doing more chores than others. It so happens that this week I'm on cleaning duty. Next week Ashley is." 

"So it's your job to clean up after everyone this week?" She was still frowning.

"Only in the mess hall and on the bridge," he said. "Does that bother you?"

"No," she said quickly. "It's just... I don't think I've ever cleaned before. On the Dark Fortress..." she paused and grimaced. "On the Dark Fortress, underlings always took care of that for me." She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand, looking so lost that TJ felt his chest clench with sympathy. "Can I-- I mean, would it be okay if I was added to this list?"

TJ grinned. "Sure," he said. "It's nice that you want to help."

She looked up at him then and she seemed almost startled that he wasn't upset with her. TJ didn't want to think about what kind of life experiences conditioned someone to react like that. No matter what he sometimes felt about Karone, he was happy she was with them now, away from all of that.

She smiled. It was small and hesitant, but there all the same. "Thank you," she said.

"No need to thank me," he said, laughing. "You're the one who just volunteered to do chores."

He turned away from her to grab another tray to take over to the recycler. When he turned back, she was walking towards the table. She grabbed her own tray from where she had sat at dinner. "Can I help with this too?"

"If you want," he said. "But only if you want."

Her expression remained neutral, but TJ noticed that her hands tightened on the edges of tray she was carrying, her fingers turning white. 

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," TJ reminded her. "You get that, right?"

She walked over and placed her tray in the recycler. Her back to him she whispered, "I get it, but sometimes I don't believe it."

TJ took a moment to give that statement the consideration it deserved. Then he dropped the tray he was holding back onto the table and walked over to her. There were more important things than cleaning up right then. Carefully, he placed what he hoped would be a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Then I'll keep reminding you until you believe it," TJ said.

She pivoted to look over her shoulder at him. She looked shocked, as if she could hardly believe he would be willing to do such a thing. "Thank you," she said again.

He smiled at her and said, "What are friends for?"

 

**Ashley**

"It's an Earth tradition," Ashley explained, placing the case containing her collection of nail polish on the table between them. She had wanted to do something with Karone, just the two of them, and this seemed like the perfect excuse for them to hang out together. "It's something we do to change the colour of our nails." 

Ashley held out her own nails for Karone to examine. Ashley was currently wearing acrylics with a canary yellow polish on them.

"Oh," Karone said, pulling her chair in closer to the table so she could get a better look. "On Earth, you paint your nails to change their colour."

"Yep. What did you do on KO-35?" she asked, having never considered that before.

Karone frowned. "I don't remember, but..." Karone held up her left hand between them, the back of her hand facing Ashley. A purple energy seemed to sizzle around Karone's nails and suddenly they were a dark shade of red.

Ashley stared. "Magic?" she asked.

Karone lowered her head, as if embarrassed. She flicked her wrist, almost imperceptibly, and the dark red on her nails vanished. "I was raised as a sorceress. I can change my appearance at will," she explained.

Karone seemed ashamed. She was slowly sliding her hand back to her side of the table when Ashley said, "That's really cool."

"It is?" Karone asked.

"Yeah," Ashley said honestly, reaching out to take Karone's hand in her own. "It looked like you got a professional manicure and it took you two seconds."

Karone seemed startled. Then she smiled and ducked her head, as if she were shy and unused to compliments, which Ashley remembered, she was. "Thanks," Karone said. 

"I was going to ask you if I could paint your nails," Ashley explained, letting go of Karone's hand. "Not that you need me to."

Karone seemed to consider her. "Do you want to?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ashley said, "but only if you're interested."

"I'd like to try it," Karone said.

"Okay," Ashley said, getting excited about being able to paint Karone's nails. She liked giving manicures, but hadn't had a chance in a while. Cassie wasn't a big fan and neither were the guys. Ashley showed Karone all the polish colours she had in her case. "Choose whatever colour you'd like."

Karone peered into the case and started examining them, one by one. Eventually she settled on a lavender polish. "Are you sure you don't mind?" Karone asked, handing the colour to Ashley.

"I'm very sure," Ashley said, once again taking Karone's hand into her own. Ashley squeezed it once in reassurance and Karone smiled at her as Ashley got to work.

 

**Cassie**

"Hey, Karone," Cassie said after a briefing. "I hear no one has shown you the Simudeck yet. Wanna check it out?" She'd been meaning to give Karone a better tour for two days now.

Karone blinked at her, like she thought it strange that Cassie was offering, but then she smiled. "I'd like that."

Cassie led her down the hall to the Simudeck door and then inside. "I hear this room can create almost any kind of thing you can imagine, just only as an illusion," Karone said.

"You heard correctly," Cassie said. "We mostly use it for training, but sometimes we just use it to chill."

"Chill?" Karone asked.

"It means 'relax'," Cassie explained. "I'll give you an example. DECA, pull up file 'TJ 23'." The room around them shimmered turning black and green before transforming into a tropical beach, complete with a blue sky and bright sun, palm trees that swayed gently in a light breeze and the sight and sounds of waves crashing into the shore in the distance. "This is one of TJ's programs. He likes the beach, so he made a program that makes him feel like he's at one."

Cassie watched Karone dig through the sand at her feet with the toe of her shoe. "All of this feels so real," Karone said, looking and sounding like she was in awe, "but we're still in that same room on the Megaship, aren't we?"

"DECA, end program," Cassie said, and the beach disappeared.

Karone turned around in a circle, taking in the grey paneling of the Megaship's walls. "Wow."

"You can program anything you want," Cassie explained. "And if you don't want to program anything, there are tons of ready-made programs."

"Anything?" Karone asked.

"Pretty much," Cassie said. "Is there anything you want to see or do?"

Karone hesitated before asking, "DECA, can you bring up the colony on KO-35?"

"Affirmative," DECA said. "Would you like to see the colony before or after the Attack?"

Karone choked out what sounded like a surprised sob, and then slapped her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and she looked both shaken and scared.

"Oh, hey." Cassie moved to stand in front of her. "It's okay," she said automatically, even though it clearly wasn't. "I mean, it's okay to react however you react to these kinds of things. And DECA doesn't have to bring up anything unless you really want to see it."

Karone made a sob-like sound again and closed her eyes.

Karone was folding in on herself and looked like she really needed a hug. "Can I give you a hug?" Cassie asked. She didn't know how much Karone liked to be touched.

Karone nodded, and Cassie carefully stepped forward and put her arms around Karone. Karone immediately leaned into her, a warm but tense weight against Cassie's front.

Cassie rubbed what she hoped were soothing circles against Karone's back, and slowly, Karone began to relax in her arms.

"I'm sorry," Karone said, sometime later. "It just surprised me."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Cassie told her, still holding her tight. "We can even leave the Simudeck, if you want."

Karone pulled back enough to look Cassie in the eye. "Why are you all so nice to me?" she asked, seeming truly bewildered, and it hurt Cassie to realize that Karone was not used to the most basic forms of human kindness.

"You might be new to our team, but you're someone we care about," Cassie said softly. 

Karone's face crumpled and her eyes appeared glassy. "Sorry," Karone said again, taking a step backwards to rub at her eyes. She turned her head to the side, just slightly, and Cassie followed her gaze to the rack of towels at the edge of the room. As Cassie was considering getting one for Karone, Karone pointed her palm in the direction of the rack and a towel lifted up into the air, floated towards them and landed in Karone's hand. Karone used it to wipe her face.

"Telekinesis?" Cassie asked, shocked, knowing that she shouldn't be given that both Andros and Zhane could do it.

Karone gave her a watery smile. "I learned as a kid. It's pretty simple."

"For you, maybe. It's not something we do on Earth," Cassie explained, not sure if she should allow the subject change or if she should steer their conversation back towards making sure Karone was alright.

Karone stared at Cassie for a moment, looking deep in thought. "I could teach you," Karone offered.

"What?" Cassie asked, surprised.

Karone placed the towel on a nearby hook and shrugged. "I could teach you, if you want."

"Really?" Cassie asked, for the first time considering the possibility of being able to float things with her mind.

Karone smiled again, and this one was less watery. "Yeah."

"Then yes," Cassie said. "Please."

"Okay," Karone said. "But can we do it somewhere else?"

"Oh. No problem," Cassie said, throwing an arm affectionately over Karone's shoulders. She paid close attention to Karone's reaction to the contact, just in case she was uncomfortable, but Karone leaned against her side like the contact was what she wanted. "And there's no rush."

As they left the Simudeck, Karone reached up to rest her hand over the one Cassie had on her shoulder.

 

**Carlos**

Carlos was getting started on his second slice of pizza when Karone came into the mess hall. She walked over and took a seat across from him.

"You hungry?" he asked her.

"Yes, but..." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what to have. I'm used to rations," she admitted.

"Rations?" Carlos asked. 

"It's what Dark Spector fed his armies," Karone said, matter-of-factly, and Carlos was reminded that he didn't even understand a fraction of what she'd been through.

"That smells good," she said, gesturing over at what remained of his slice of pizza. "What is it?"

"Pizza," he said, automatically, before his mouth caught up with her question. "Wait, you've never had pizza?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "No."

Carlos remembered introducing both Andros and Zhane to pizza. Of course, Karone had never had it. "Want to try it?" he asked.

"Sure," she said. 

Carlos got up and walked over to the Synthetron. He ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza and then brought the pizza over to Karone on a tray. She looked down at the pizza as if studying it.

"This one has cheese and a type of meat called pepperoni on it," Carlos told her. "You can get it with different toppings, but this is what is considered classic."

She reached for a fork. "You can eat it with a knife and fork," Carlos explained as he sat back down across from her, "but most people eat it with their bare hands." He reached for his own half-finished slice, lifted it to his mouth and took a bite.

"Oh," Karone said, putting down the fork. She picked up her slice of pizza. "Like this?" she asked.

"Exactly like that," Carlos said. "Try it."

He watched as Karone bit into the pizza. She chewed it hesitantly at first and then faster, more eagerly. 

"What do you think?" Carlos asked after she swallowed.

"It tastes even better than it smells," she said, her eyes wide. "It's _good_."

"I'm glad you like it," Carlos said and grinned at her. "Just wait until you try all the desserts the Synthetron can make."

Karone's eyes went wider. "You mean like... cake?"

Carlos nodded. They had had cake after dinner her first night on the ship. "Exactly like cake. And cookies and cupcakes and candy. All sorts of things really." 

Karone seemed to reflect on this as they finished off their slices of pizza. Then she asked, "Does the Synthetron only make food?"

"No, it can make other things too, as long as they're not too large," Carlos replied. "Why do you ask? Is there something you want to make?"

"Yes," she replied. Karone was silent for a moment, staring down at her tray. Carlos watched her, patient as she seemed to collect her thoughts. "There's a toy that Andros and I used to play with as children. I want to make one." She looked up at him. "Would you be willing to help me?" she asked hesitantly.

"It would be my pleasure," Carlos replied.

 

**Andros**

Andros' door chime went off. Quickly, he pulled himself to a sitting position with his legs hanging off the side of his bed and tucked his locket, which he had been staring at, back under his shirt. "It's open," he said.

The door slid open revealing Karone standing in the hallway, her hands behind her back. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, shifting over to make room for her to sit on the bed. She seemed to not notice and stopped in the center of the room, letting the door close behind her.

Andros found himself staring at her. It had been days and he still couldn't help feeling wonder and joy that he had finally found her and that she was with him now.

She fidgeted, and Andros noticed that they'd been watching each other in silence for a while. He realized that while he was happy to see her, he had no idea why she was visiting him.

He asked her, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she said. "Everyone has been very nice to me." She ducked her head and smiled at him through her lashes, and he found himself smiling back. "Carlos even helped me make something."

Before Andros could ask about it, Karone brought her hands forward from behind her back. She was holding something, and Andros recognised it as a Hoberman sphere -- the same size and the same colours of the one they had used to practice their telekinesis as children. The same one they had been playing with on the day Karone had been kidnapped.

She held it out to him in her hands. It rose up out of her palms and opened, effortlessly becoming a larger sphere. She floated it over to him and he automatically raised his own hands, palms forward to catch it, floating it in mid-air. 

He gently sent it back towards her, adding a spin. She caught it and sent it back towards him, changing the direction of the spin. This was an exercise their mother had taught them many, many years ago. He marveled at what they were doing and felt his throat close up.

"You remember," Andros said when he finally found his voice.

Karone's smile grew wider and she added a wobble to the sphere. Andros caught it, but instead of changing the frequency of the wobble and sending the sphere back to her, like he was supposed to, he floated the sphere upwards towards the ceiling and let it rotate slowly above them. He reached out his hands towards her, palms up, and she came forward, closing the space between them until she dropped her own hands softly into his.

"I missed you," he said, looking up at her.

She bent forward, her hands sliding up his forearms and then around his back until she was crouched in front of him, hugging him. He folded his arms around her and held her tight as she whispered, "I missed you, too," against his shoulder.


End file.
